With most of your herd calved now and September arriving, your attention will be shifting to peak lactation and mating getting started. Planning is always one of the keys to success. There are a lot of ‘moving parts’ so reviewing your plan and coordinating that with your team will set your herd up for success. Complete the following animal health stock-take:
Metrichecking for endometritis is well underway for herds doing this in batches, while other herds complete this in a single whole-herd check towards the end of calving. Cows with untreated endometritis are more likely to be empty. Cows with uterine infections have lower conception rates. Even cows with mild endometritis will be two weeks later getting in-calf on average than ‘clean’ cows.
Tail-paint all milkers one of two colours, 5 weeks out from Planned Start of Mating (PSM). Cows calved prior 5 weeks from PSM should be one colour (e.g. Red); cows calving within 5 weeks of PSM should be a different colour (e.g Orange). ‘Red’ cows should have cycled at least once before mating starts. Those that haven’t should be examined the week before PSM. This will diagnose why cows have not cycled. It can also identify if feed and condition may be limiting fertility. ‘Orange’ cows that have not cycled within the first 3 weeks of mating should be examined with ‘Red’ cows that have failed to cycle in the first round.
Blood sample cows for energy (BOH) and mineral status (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iodine, copper, selenium, vitamin B12/cobalt). Correcting deficiency BEFORE mating starts is essential for achieving optimal fertility. A liver biopsy on 6 or 7 milkers is ideal for confirming copper status and fine-tuning copper supplementation. Liver copper reserves often reach their lowest in September/October right when they are needed most.
September is the perfect month to review what milk tests need to be booked-in. Discuss these test options and their relevance for your herd with your vet. Here is a summary:
Check yearling heifer weights and confirm they are up to date for drenching and trace mineral supplements. Are they on a rising plane of nutrition? Have synchrony programmes and bulls been booked and is there sufficient bull power for the heifers needing to be serviced?
Review your dry mob. Are there cows that are getting too fat? These cows are higher risk for calving ketosis. Cows older than 8 years are more at risk of metabolic complications. Check the teeth on these cows. Give them a magnesium bolus as a precaution- it may save their life and enable you to milk them one more season.
Have you had your Repro-Ready Review with your vet? This confirms what interventions need to happen on which dates and avoids oversights.
